Star-Advertiser scribe Billy Hull was up at 4:30 a.m. on a fine Wednesday morning.
Boarded a plane, headed to Maui and made it to Iron Maehara Stadium 10 minutes before the opening first-round battle at the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball Division I State Championships. What the longtime writer then witnessed for the next 12 hours was, perhaps, the most unpredictable and mind-blowing quarterfinal round in baseball state-tourney history.
Here’s a quick look at the Bonecrusher’s reviews of Wednesday’s thrillers. Thursday’s quarterfinals begin at 11:15 a.m.
Hilo 6, Kamehameha 5, 8 innings — Who expected this: the BIIF runner-up over the ILH third-place squad?
“(Devin) Saltiban for Hilo can rake. Hilo reliever (Eli Yamanaka) was going to start today, but threw 36 pitches, one over the limit. That was a big blow.”
Game 2 underway between Hilo and Kamehameha. Hekili Robello, the big 6-foot-4 right-hander, starts for the Vikings against Kamehameha's Kaena Kiakona. pic.twitter.com/9JZ9ac7tPX
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 4, 2022
Beau Sylvester adds an infield single with two outs in the sixth to score a run to push Kamehameha's lead to 5-2, B6. pic.twitter.com/tq8Fc0hUH6
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 5, 2022
Freshman Logan Sanchez enters in relief and gets the strikeout for the second out. Warriors now bring in Ethan Waikiki to face the righty. Go-ahead run at second for Hilo. pic.twitter.com/zQ6uUm6aUl
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 5, 2022
Waikiki gets the fly ball to right to get out of the sixth. 5-5 tie going to the seventh. pic.twitter.com/lun0r8S6hw
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 5, 2022
Hilo leaves the winning run on second. Extra innings we go. pic.twitter.com/Sf1h7pwwAo
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 5, 2022
WALK-OFF WINNER. Hilo's Makena Wakakuwa with the line-drive single to right to score Legend Lancaster and Hilo beats Kamehameha 6-5 in eight innings. pic.twitter.com/RlnlAINBe6
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 5, 2022
Kailua 9, ‘Iolani 5 — “Both ILH teams came out lacking a little energy. Wonder if that double-elimination (tournament) takes a lot out of teams.”
Kailua's Rayvin Pagan closes out a 9-5 win over 'Iolani. Surfriders (10-6) will open the quarterfinals tomorrow against OIA champion Mililani. ILH goes 0-2 on the day. pic.twitter.com/V1XVGWvBfd
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 5, 2022
Pearl City 4, Moanalua 1 — Dacoda Agoto struck out 12 and walked four in six innings, no earned runs, and Devin Hayashi finished off the no-hitter. Apparently, Agoto is a morning person.
“His alarm was set for 3:30 a.m. He got to the airport at 5,” Hull said.
Pearl City's Dacoda Agoto drops in a breaking ball to strike out the side in the top of the first for the Chargers. pic.twitter.com/KPYDaWBBJg
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 4, 2022
Make that 6-for-6 for Agoto, who has already tied his season-high in strikeouts. Pearl City 0, Moanalua 0, B2. @PearlCityHS https://t.co/ddyhkRHrhV pic.twitter.com/pQmgosM7u3
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 4, 2022
Pearl City senior Dacoda Agoto ends the top of the sixth with his 12th strikeout on pitch No. 110 to leave the bases loaded. Moanalua still without a hit but Chargers will have to go to the bullpen in the seventh. 4-1 Pearl City. pic.twitter.com/zSnSkGpxPW
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 4, 2022
Devin Hayashi completes the no-hitter for Pearl City which advances with a 4-1 win over Moanalua to play Saint Louis in the quarterfinals. pic.twitter.com/MZLMRTvWcO
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 4, 2022
Pearl City's Dacoda Agoto and Devin Hayashi combine to throw the first no-hitter in the state tournament since Quintin Torres-Costa and Kodi Medeiros teamed up to do it in the 2012 state final. @PearlCityHS https://t.co/2GUeUEFCKO
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 4, 2022
Kalani 2, Maui 1 — “The guy that stood out the most was Maui pitcher Jonah Richardson. Decent velocity. Eight innings, 12 Ks, one unearned run. Neighbor Islands always show out with legit guys.
Chris Mata is pumped after back-to-back strikeouts with the go-ahead run at third. Maui and Kalani still 1-1, B9. pic.twitter.com/IOe87TmgmO
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 5, 2022
Kalani's Taichi Fujinaga, who came in to pitch in the eighth inning, singles up the middle to score Noa Uchida. Falcons take a 2-1 lead in the 10th. pic.twitter.com/RObFTuOv57
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 5, 2022
FINAL: Kalani's Taichi Fujinaga with the strikeout to end it. Kalani wins 2-1 in 10 innings and advances to play Waiakea in the quarterfinals on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/89JEpf8nFb
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 5, 2022
Senior Taichi Fujinaga's clutch pitching and hitting helped Kalani (13-3) snap a six-game losing streak in the state tournament to earn its first win in the winner’s bracket since 1986 and cap an insane first day at Iron Maehara Stadium.
Story: https://t.co/jIdPMBQRk4 pic.twitter.com/B4P9DMMJN7
— Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 5, 2022
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